Wolfeboro is the oldest town in New Hampshire

MANCHESTER — According to a survey by WMUR-TV, Wolfeboro is the oldest town in New Hampshire with a median age of 60.3 years.

The survey was based on the most recent census data from 2008 through 2012 and ranked the top 50 towns in the state by median age of its residents. Towns with fewer than 200 residents were not included.

Median age is not average age: it is number than falls in the middle of a range of numbers. If more people are old in the population the median is a higher number than when more people are young.

The 10 oldest towns/census areas in the report with their median ages were:

1) Wolfeboro, 60.3

2) Warner, 57.9

3) Colebrook, 55.8

4) Lincoln, 55.7

5) Seabrook Beach, 53.5

6) Epping, 53.1

7) Hancock, 52.9

8) Mountain Lakes (Haverhill/Bath), 52.5

9) Peterborough, 50.9

10) Loudon, 49.9.

Other area towns or areas ranked in the report were Conway, ranked 15th at 48.3 years; Sanbornville, ranked 32nd (tied with Berlin) at 44.6 years; Meredith, ranked 38th (tied with Exeter) at 43.6 years, and Rochester, ranked 40th at 42.6 years. Portsmouth was ranked 45th at 41 years and Concord was ranked 48th at 40.1 years. At the bottom of the list was Antrim, ranked 50th at 39.6 years.

According to the Census Burea, the national median age at the last census in 2010 was 37.2 years. The median age in Wolfeboro is 23.1 years (62 percent) older.

All six New England states are in the top 10 of oldest states by median age. Maine is oldest at 42.7 years, followed by Vermont at 41.5, New Hampshire (4th overall) at 31.1, Connecticut (6th overall) at 40, Rhode Island (9th overall) at 39.4), and Massachusetts (10th) at 39.1.